Machine and bucket combination determination

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is related to a method for determining a bucket and a machine combination operating along with multiple haul trucks of multiple sizes available in a mining site to achieve a target production efficiency. The method includes of providing a material information including at least one of a material category, a material bucket fill factor, and a material density. The method also includes providing a machine information including at least one of a static tipping load. The method includes providing a haul truck information including an average material load carried by the haul truck based on the material category, and available options of the haul trucks and haul truck sizes. Thereafter, the method includes determining the bucket and the machine combination based on analysis of the material information, the loader information, and the haul truck information.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a bucket and a machine combination operating along with multiple trucks of multiple sizes available, and more particularly to the method for determining the bucket and the machine combination operating along with the multiple trucks of multiple sizes available at a mining site.

BACKGROUND

Wheel loader machines and other heavy equipment machines are used to transfer materials such as asphalt, gravel, raw minerals, rock, sand, etc., into another type of machinery such as a dump truck, and a haul truck. The wheel loader machines may be able to move many different types of materials depending on the requirements of a mining site. The wheel loader machines include a work implement, such as a bucket to scoop the materials from the mining site and transfer onto the dump truck. Efficient operation of the wheel loader machines requires optimally selecting a loader and a corresponding implement for the loader.

PCT Patent Application No. 2013/100555 describes a construction machinery attachment setting apparatus and method which can minimize categories which must be set by a user on an attachment setting screen by automatically inputting standard setting information for each setting category of attachments used in construction machinery. The construction machinery attachment setting method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: selecting the type of attachment on the display unit of construction machinery; outputting to the display unit attachment lists which each include at least one piece of information from the manufacturer, model name, model number, year of manufacture, and region of manufacture, and selecting one attachment from the lists; and automatically outputting to the display unit attachment information including at least one piece of standard setting information from among the maximum pressure, maximum flow, and minimum flow.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for determining a bucket and a machine combination along with multiple haul trucks of multiple sizes available in a mining site to achieve a target production efficiency. The method includes providing a material information including at least one of a material category, a material bucket fill factor, and a material density. The method also includes providing a machine information including at least one of a static tipping load. The method includes providing a haul truck information including an average material load carried by the haul truck based on the material category, and available options of the haul trucks and haul truck sizes. Thereafter, the method includes determining the bucket and the machine combination based on analysis of the material information, the loader information, and the haul truck information.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a system including an exemplary machine and a haul truck, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a selection module, and

FIG. 3 is a table showing a percentage of Rated Machine Capacity with respect to material type and bucket size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary mining site 100 including an exemplary machine 101 and a truck 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the machine 101 is embodied as a wheel loader and the truck 102 is embodied as a haul truck. The truck 102 is available in multiple sizes in the mining site 100. In an alternative embodiment, the machine 101 may include other machines such as tracked loader, excavator, etc., and truck may alternatively include other mining trucks like dump truck.

The machine 101 includes a chassis and/or a frame 103. A powertrain or a drivetrain (not shown) may be provided on the machine 101 for the production and transmission of motive power. The powertrain may include power source (not shown) and be located within an enclosure 104 of the machine 101. The power source may include one or more engines, power plants or other power delivery systems like batteries, hybrid engines, and the like. It should be noted that the power source could also be external to the machine 101. A set of ground engaging members 106, such as wheels, may also be provided on the machine 101 for the purpose of mobility. Although not shown, the powertrain may further include a torque converter, transmission inclusive of gearing, drive shaft and other known drive links provided between the power source and the set of ground engaging members 106 for the transmission of motive power. Further, the machine 101 includes an operator cabin 108, which houses controls for operating the machine 101.

As shown in FIG. 1, the machine 101 have a linkage assembly 109 attached to the frame 103. The linkage assembly 109 includes a lift arm 110. An implement, such as a bucket 112, may be pivotally coupled to the lift arm 110. It may be noted that the linkage assembly 109 and the implement of the machine 101 may vary based on the type of machine 101 or the type of operation or task required to be carried out by the machine 101. During operation of the machine 101, the lift arm 110 and the bucket 112 is moved to different positions in order to perform excavation and dumping tasks. The movement of the lift arm 110 and/or the bucket 112 is controlled by hydraulic and/or pneumatic cylinders 114. Accordingly, based on the movement of the lift arm 110 and the bucket 112, the machine 101 may perform different operations such as loading, dumping, excavating, and the like. The bucket 112 of the machine 101 enables to pick materials and transfer into a dump body 116 of the truck 102. The truck 102 may be chosen from multiple trucks of multiple sizes available in the mining site 100. The truck 102 is selected based on the combination of a truck size with the machine 101 and the bucket 112 will require how many passes to fill the truck 102 with the materials by the bucket 112 and the machine 101 combination. The number of passes has to be optimized in order to achieve a target production efficiency. The truck 102 further transports the material as per the location requirements.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a selection module 200, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The selection module 200 determines a machine model and a bucket size combination to handle the multiple trucks of multiple sizes that gets loaded in a mining site to achieve the target production efficiency at the mining site 100. The selection module 200 receives information from various historical data sources, such as, a mining site information database 202, a material information database 204, and a machine information database 206. The mining site information database 202 includes information like a material type, a truck model corresponding to the material type, the truck size, etc. The material information database 204 includes information like the material type, a material density, a bucket fill factor of the material, etc. The machine information database 206 includes the machine model, the bucket size, a full turn static tipping load, etc.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mining site information database 202 includes information such as a material type, the truck model corresponding to the material type, the truck size, etc. The mining site information database 202 includes the material type available in the selected mining site and the corresponding information is stored as tables or module maps 203 in the mining site information database 202. The tables 203 include the truck model information for a specific material type in the mining site and the truck size. The below Table 1 is an exemplary snapshot of the table 203 of the mining site information database 202.

TABLE 1 Mining site information database Material Type Truck Quantity ¾″ Rock M115 25.69

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the material information database 204 includes information such as the material type, a material description, a material density, a bucket fill factor, etc. The material information database 204 includes the material type available in the selected mining site and the corresponding information is stored as tables or module maps 205 in the material information database 204. The tables 205 include the material density, the bucket fill factor, etc. for a specific material type in the mining site. The below Table 2 is an exemplary snapshot of the table 205 of the material information database 204.

TABLE 2 Material information database Material Material Type Description Material Density Bucket Fill Factor ¾″ Rock ¾″ Rock 2743 100.00% 4 Squeegee 4 Squeegee 2808 105.00% Concentrate Concentrate Sand 2669 110.00% Sand

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the machine information database 206 includes the machine model, a bucket size, a full turn static tipping load, etc. The machine model, the bucket size and the full static tipping load is stored as tables or module maps 207. The below Table 3 is an exemplary snapshot of the tables 207 of the material information database 206.

TABLE 3 Loader information database Machine Model Bucket Size Full Turn Static Tipping Load 972K 5.49 36138 972K 5.75 36227 972K 6.02 35901 972K 6.28 35963 972K 6.54 36117 980K 7.06 42464 980K 7.46 44656 980K 7.85 44353 980K 12 Ton 8.37 52375 980K 12 Ton 9.16 51739 980K 12 Ton 9.85 51204 980K 12 Ton 10.74 52091

The information obtained from the various historical data sources such as the mining site information database 202, the material information database 204, and the machine information database 206 is then analyzed in an analyzing module 208. The input from the databases is received in an input module 210. The input module 210 transfers the information to a processing module 212 where the information is processed. The processed information is then transferred to an output module 214. The output module 214 gives the information of the machine model and the bucket size combination along with the multiple trucks of multiple sizes suiting a given site configuration to achieve the target production efficiency. The output module 214 transfers the information to a reporting module 216. The reporting module 216 will generate reports specifying the machine model and the bucket size combination along with the multiple trucks of multiple sizes for achieving the target production efficiency. The reporting module 216 includes a display unit 218 to display the machine model and bucket size combination along with the multiple trucks of multiple sizes readable by the user to achieve the target production efficiency. The reporting module 216 may include a notification system which sends the notifications on smart devices.

FIG. 3 is a table illustrating percentage of Rated Machine Capacity with respect to Material type and bucket size, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The table shows values calculated for each bucket size corresponding to the machine model. The values of percentage (%) of rated machine capacity which are 100% or more are not to be considered as an option for the selection of the bucket size and the machine model. The values of % of rated machine capacity which are below 100% are to be considered if the other parameters are also satisfied. In the illustrated FIG. 3, if we consider ¾″ Rock as the material type, the various options of type of the machine model and the bucket size can be considered except the ones which are 100% or more than 100%. The various options are considered in the processing module 212 and then transferred to the output module 214. The output module 214 gives the information of the machine model and the bucket size combination suiting a given site configuration to achieve the target production efficiency. The output module 214 transfers the information to a reporting module 216. The reporting module 216 will generate reports specifying the machine model and bucket size combination for achieving the target production efficiency. The reporting module 216 includes a display unit 218 to display the machine model and bucket size combination readable by the user to achieve the target production efficiency.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a bucket and a machine combination operating along with multiple trucks of multiple sizes available in a mining site to achieve a target production efficiency. The determination of a bucket size and a machine model enables an efficient cycle of transporting of material from a given mining site to a given place. The historical data associated with the mining site information database, the material information database, the machine information database, etc. provides information to analyze and the output of which enables to provide options to the user of various combinations of the bucket size and the machine model to achieve target production efficiency and select the best combination of the bucket size and the machine model suiting a given site configuration to achieve the target production efficiency.

This method for determining a bucket and a machine combination operating along with multiple trucks of multiple sizes available in a mining site also takes into consideration of the full turn static tipping load for the bucket size and the machine model combination which ensures exceeding a tipping point when the machine is fully articulated.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for determining a bucket and a machine combination operating along with multiple haul trucks of multiple sizes available in a mining site to achieve a target production efficiency, the method comprising: providing a material information including at least one of a material category, a material bucket fill factor, and a material density; providing a machine information including at least one of a static tipping load; providing a haul truck information including an average material load carried by the haul truck based on the material category, and available options of the haul trucks and haul truck sizes; and determining the bucket and the machine combination based on analysis of the material information, the loader information, and the haul truck information. 